Lem Barney
Lem Barney in 2015
|
|||||||||
No. 20 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Date of birth: | September 8, 1945 | ||||||||
Place of birth: | Gulfport, Mississippi | ||||||||
Height: | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). | ||||||||
Weight: | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Gulfport (MS) 33rd Avenue | ||||||||
College: | Jackson State | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 1967 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
Lemuel Joseph "Lem" Barney (born September 8, 1945) is a former American football cornerback who played for the Detroit Lions. He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
Contents
College years
Barney attended Jackson State University where he was a three-time All-Southwestern Conference star with 26 career interceptions. Barney is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
In 1965 he recorded 9 interceptions. In 1966 he finished with 11 interceptions. He also had punt averages of 41.7 and 42.5 in those two seasons.
Pro career
Barney was a second round draft choice in 1967. He was named 1967's defensive rookie of the year, and went on to be selected to seven Pro Bowls. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive backs in Detroit Lions history. During his time in the NFL (all of which were in Detroit), Barney had 56 career interceptions, and also gained over 1000 yards returning kickoffs and punts. In Barney's first pro start, he intercepted the first pass in his direction from Green Bay's Bart Starr and ran for a touchdown. Lem Barney and the rest of the Lions defense were coached by six-time Pro Bowl defensive back Jim David. Lem credits Jim David as a mentor and teacher of the highest order. Jim David made the induction speech at the Pro Football Hall Of Fame induction ceremony for Lem. They remained great friends until David's death.
In 1999, he was ranked number 97 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
His number, 20, which was also worn by future Detroit star running backs Billy Sims and Barry Sanders, was retired by the Lions.
Both Barney and Lions teammate Mel Farr befriended Motown recording artist Marvin Gaye, when Gaye unsuccessfully tried out for the Lions in 1970. Barney and Farr sing background vocals on Gaye's classic 1971 song "What's Going On",[1] for which Lem earned a Gold Record. Lem Barney also had a role in the film The Black Six and appeared as himself in Paper Lion. He is now a minister. Lem Barney performed the matrimonial services for Jim David's grandson, Sean Thornton and Laura Butler in 2009 at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
Post career
Lem Barney is an associate minister at Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield, Michigan. [2] He is active in metro Detroit philanthropies and also mentors inner-city youth through his involvement with the church. Barney was inducted into the Gridiron Greats Hall of Fame, 2010.[3]
In popular culture
Barney appears as a playable character in the All-Pro Football 2K8 video game.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2012-01-16/news/30633959_1_breakfast-program-table-teen-program
- ↑ http://www.msufpa.com/news/latest-news/item/285-two-spartans-to-be-inducted-into-the-gridiron-greats-hall-of-fame
External links
- NFL player using deprecated currentteam parameter
- NFL player with pastcoaching parameter
- NFL player with pastexecutive parameter
- Infobox NFL player article missing alt text
- 1945 births
- Living people
- American football cornerbacks
- American football return specialists
- Detroit Lions players
- Jackson State Tigers football players
- National Conference Pro Bowl players
- National Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winners
- Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Western Conference Pro Bowl players
- Backing vocalists
- Methodist ministers
- People from Gulfport, Mississippi
- Players of American football from Mississippi